PHOTOS: World's Best Rooftop Bars

World's Hottest Rooftop Bars

The view from the top is always the best. Chic rooftop bars with high-quality cocktails and food are the place to hang out this summer. Here are some of our favorites around the globe.

Sands SkyPark in Singapore is a new 3-acre tropical oasis set atop the three hotel towers at the Marina Bay Sands. There are gardens with 250 trees, a massive observation deck and an infinity swimming pool. Fear not drinkers, mixed in with all of those amenities are plenty of restaurants and bars offering views of the South China Sea, Marina Bay and the Singapore skyline.

Courtesy Sands SkyPark

World's Hottest Rooftop Bars

The view from the top is always the best. Chic rooftop bars with high-quality cocktails and food are the place to hang out this summer. Here are some of our favorites around the globe.<p/><a href="http://www.marinabaysands.com/SandsSkypark/Sands_Sky_Park.aspx" target="external">Sands SkyPark</a> in Singapore is a new 3-acre tropical oasis set atop the three hotel towers at the Marina Bay Sands. There are gardens with 250 trees, a massive observation deck and an infinity swimming pool. Fear not drinkers, mixed in with all of those amenities are plenty of restaurants and bars offering views of the South China Sea, Marina Bay and the Singapore skyline.

Courtesy Sands SkyPark

World's Hottest Rooftop Bars

The Press Lounge, located on the 16th floor atop New York's <a href="http://www.ink48.com/" target="external">Ink48 hotel</a> offers stunning views of the Manhattan skyline and the nearby Hudson River.

Courtesy Press Lounge

World's Best Rooftop Bars

The new <a href="http://www.wangzhotel.com/" target="external">Wangz Hotel</a> in Singapore is a sleek and modern boutique property designed to invoke a sense of calm. That vibe carries over to Halo, the hotel's rooftop bar, which offers panoramic views of the city's skyline. Enjoy jazz music and cool breezes while sipping your drink.

Courtesy Wangz Hotel

World's Best Rooftop Bars

The new <a href="http://www.thestrandnyc.com/" target="external">Strand hotel</a> in New York features a lounge on the 21st floor with a retractable glass roof and a bird's eye view of the Empire State Building, just three blocks south. Top of the Strand has a very open, airy, cabana-like feel and was designed by Lydia Marks, set designer for "Sex and the City" and "The Devil Wears Prada."

Courtesy Strand

World's Best Rooftop Bars

Evening cocktails and midnight small dishes complement the open-air atmosphere of chic relaxation at Aer, Mumbai's highest rooftop bar at the <a href="http://www.fourseasons.com/mumbai/" target="external">Four Seasons Mumbai</a>. Covering the entire rooftop of the hotel, the bar -- 34 stories above the city --offers panoramic city and sea views and an endless ceiling of sky and stars, creating an atmosphere that redefines the notion of freedom.

Courtesy Four Seasons

World's Best Rooftop Bars

<a href="http://www.loof.com.sg/rooftopbar/" target="external">Loof</a>, in Singapore, describes itself as "a refuge for the bedraggled office worker, a respite for the brilliant mind, a sanctuary for fools, a canvas for the budding artist, and the launch pad for a brilliant night." We simply call it a great place to have a drink.

Courtesy Loof

World's Best Rooftop Bars

The cozy yet sophisticated surroundings of the JW's Champagne Lounge on the 40th floor of the <a href=" http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/shajw-jw-marriott-hotel-shanghai-at-tomorrow-square/" target="external">JW Marriott Hotel Shanghai at Tomorrow Square</a> make it the perfect venue to enjoy smooth live music and the spectacular Shanghai skyline. The menu features more than 40 different choices of Champagnes and sparkling wines and a fine selection of cocktails and refined bar snacks. The adjacent quiet lounge is an exclusive area with comfortable alcoves where you can enjoy premium cigars and single malt whiskies.

Courtesy Marriott

World's Best Rooftop Bars

Vue Bar at <a href="http://www.shanghai.bund.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp" target="external">Hyatt on the Bund</a> in Shanghai is a rooftop lounge with spectacular views of the Bund and Pudong. Located on the 32nd and 33rd floors of the hotel's West Tower, Vue Bar features stunning views in a relaxed setting, with day beds, comfortable seating arrangements and a whirlpool on the terrace.

Courtesy Hyatt

World's Best Rooftop Bars

The <a href="http://www.glennhotel.com/?chebs=glenn_gl" target="external">Glenn Hotel</a> is home to SkyLounge, the first rooftop bar in Atlanta. Sip handcrafted cocktails, served against a backdrop of the city skyline at a bar described by the owners as a place "where the energy is even higher than the streets below and the outlook is always better." Hotel guests get special treatment, with exclusive priority entrance to the bar. A must-try is the Mexican Mule, a liberating concoction of tequila, ginger beer, agave syrup, lime and mint.

World's Best Rooftop Bars

The <a href="http://www.hardrockhotel.com/" target="external">Hard Rock Hotel and Casino</a> in Las Vegas has just expanded and now has Skybar, an upper deck area with an acrylic-edged pool and three acrylic windows in the bottom that create skylights for the dining area below. It has a covered teak-floored lounge area with bar seating. which provides the best viewing of the sunset in the evening and the strip at night.

Erik Kabik

World's Best Rooftop Bars

This is the bar that might have set the standard. Or at least once personified it. Welcome to Plunge, the rooftop bar at the <a href="http://www.hotelgansevoort.com/" target="external">Hotel Gansevoort</a> in New York's Meatpacking district. The bar, with spectacular views of the Hudson River and the city, was recently redone; now the walls are crimson and sensual images by photographer Deborah Anderson adorn the bar and walls. The Loft lounge features a fireplace and soft furnishings from Italy.

Courtesy Hotel Gansevoort

World's Best Rooftop Bars

The <a href="http://www.tokyo.grand.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp" target="external">Grand Hyatt Tokyo</a> has the revamped outdoor bar La Terrace, The French Kitchen and welcomes those looking for spectacular views of Tokyo and seasonal snacks from a new outdoor grill.

Courtesy Grand Hyatt

World's Best Rooftop Bars

<a href="http://www.thompsonhotels.com/hotels/dc/donovan-house" target="external">Donovan House</a> in Washington, D.C. is topped off with ADC (Above D.C.), a private rooftop bar and lounge modeled after the exclusive A60 at 60 Thompson in New York and ABH at Thompson Beverly Hills. ADC has a heated pool surrounded by chaise lounges and a full bar with food service from the hotel's restaurant. A long horizontal fireplace and cherry blossom trees create a warm, chic space for guests to socialize and relax during their stay.

Courtesy Donovan House

World's Best Rooftop Bars

Vertigo, on the rooftop of the 61-story <a href="http://www.banyantree.com/en/bangkok/overview" target="external">Banyan Tree Bangkok</a>, is named for Alfred Hitchcock's famous thriller. This restaurant and bar comes alive at sunset. The bar is sculpted with escalated platforms and low walls to ensure an outstanding 360-degree panorama of the city.

Handout

World's Best Rooftop Bars

Many bars offer great views, but at <a href="http://roofonthewit.therestaurantsatthewit.com/" target="external">ROOF</a> in Chicago, a telescope, located in one corner, allows guests to spy on the stars and surrounding city views. The 7,000-square-feet of indoor and outdoor space on the 27th floor of the Wit Hotel is moody and sleek. Another corner features a seven-foot double-sided glass fireplace through which partygoers can gaze upon the Chicago skyline.

World's Best Rooftop Bars

The sky is the ceiling at the <a href="http://www.oneandonlyresorts.com/flash.html" target="external">One&Only Royal Mirage</a> in Dubai. The Roof Top is a circular bar with a laid back atmosphere. The abundance of embroidered cushions and candlelight creates warmth and intimacy in the magical, musical majlis serving cocktails and oriental mezzehs late into the night.

Courtesy Royal Mirage

World's Best Rooftop Bars

A special express elevator whisks you from the street level to an urban oasis 30 stories above Manhattan. Welcome to Upstairs at the <a href="http://www.kimberlyhotel.com/" target="external">Kimberly Hotel</a>. This 4,000-square-foot space designed by de-spec boasts 360-degree views with the iconic Chrysler Building nearby. Vintage theatrical lights and strings of incandescent bulbs float overhead, creating an intimate, sensual mood.

Courtesy The Kimberly Hotel

World's Best Rooftop Bars

At the tiny <a href="http://www.naumihotel.com/" target="external">Naumi Hotel</a> in Singapore, guests can choose to stay on the ladies-only floor attended to by female-only staff. But for a bit of coed fun, head up to the rooftop bar, which offers great views of the city.

Courtesy Naumi Hotel

World's Best Rooftop Bars

At the <a href="http://www.memadrid.com/" target="external">ME Madrid</a> hotel, the best views of the famous Plaza Santa Ana can be found at The Penthouse, a rooftop terrace overlooking the city. Guests can recline under the stars on luxurious beds, delicately enclosed with light, decadent fabrics, or hang out indoors in the lush lounge or exclusive VIP Bar. THE Penthouse is accessible only by private elevator and is a scintillating experience for local and international guests.

Me Madrid

World's Best Rooftop Bars

Okay, so maybe you don't want to party the night away but would just instead prefer a quiet drink with a view. Located in the legendary <a href="http://en.hoteldeparismontecarlo.com/" target="external">Hotel de Paris</a> in Monaco is Le Grill restaurant and bar. This elegant rooftop eatery is open for lunch and dinner and is the proud winner of a prized Michelin star. Considered a "monument" to Monegasque gastronomy, Le Grill features open-air dining (at the flick of a switch the roof can be closed in inclement weather) with panoramic views of the Mediterranean and Monaco's harbor.